Ed-Tech Policy Report Roundup

Technology and Math

By Ian Quillen — September 14, 2010 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

A summary of findings from a four-year study released early this month suggests that training Algebra 1 teachers in software that lets them monitor students’ work on graphing calculators can lead to better student results on a researcher-designed algebra test.

The authors said the study, part of Ohio State University’s Classroom Connectivity in Mathematics and Science research project, points to the importance of professional development in implementing classroom technology to improve learning. The research, conducted from 2005 to 2009, was funded by the U.S. Department of Education, with Dallas-based Texas Instruments supplying the TI-Navigator monitoring program used in roughly half the classrooms.

The study included 127 teachers from 28 states and two Canadian provinces in its first year. About half the 1,760 students enrolled were placed in a treatment group where their teachers received a week of training in the TI-Navigator system before the year began, as well as continuing professional development. The teachers in the control group received neither the program nor the training.

Of the more than 1,200 students studied, those in the treatment group tested about 10 percent better, on average, on an exam created to reflect Algebra 1 standards in the 13 states involved in the study.

In subsequent years, teachers who taught in the control group the year before were placed into the treatment group, and compared not only against the control group of that year, but also against their own results from the previous year. In all but one year, the treatment-group students made more learning gains than the control group from that year.

A version of this article appeared in the September 15, 2010 edition of Education Week as Technology and Math

Events

Budget & Finance Webinar Leverage New Funding Sources with Data-Informed Practices
Address the whole child using data-informed practices, gain valuable insights, and learn strategies that can benefit your district.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Webinar
ChatGPT & Education: 8 Ways AI Improves Student Outcomes
Revolutionize student success! Don't miss our expert-led webinar demonstrating practical ways AI tools will elevate learning experiences.
Content provided by Inzata
Classroom Technology K-12 Essentials Forum Tech Is Everywhere. But Is It Making Schools Better?
Join us for a lively discussion about the ways that technology is being used to improve schools and how it is falling short.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Ed-Tech Policy Schools Are Major Targets of Cyberattacks. A Bipartisan Effort in Congress Aims to Help
There have been 1,619 publicly disclosed K-12 cyberattacks between 2016 and 2022.
3 min read
Silhouette of a hacker in a hoodie using laptop with binary code overlay.
iStock/Getty Images Plus
Ed-Tech Policy We Asked ChatGPT: Should Schools Ban You?
The debate about the benefits and drawbacks of artificial intelligence, and more specifically ChatGPT, is heating up.
1 min read
Vector illustration of the letters AI partially breaking through the red circle and slash symbol representing it being banned
Tech luminaries and prominent AI researchers signed an open letter calling for temporarily putting the brakes on development of AI technologies.
iStock/Getty
Ed-Tech Policy Congress Tells TikTok CEO: The App Is Bad for Students and Privacy
TikTok spreads misinformation, endangers children’s mental health, and jeopardizes their privacy, lawmakers said.
3 min read
Supporters of TikTok hold signs during a rally to defend the app at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. The House holds a hearing Thursday, with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew about the platform's consumer privacy and data security practices and impact on kids.
Supporters of TikTok hold signs during a rally to defend the app at the Capitol in Washington on March 22, 2023. The House held a hearing the next day with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew about the platform's consumer privacy and data security practices and its impact on kids.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
Ed-Tech Policy TikTok Is Raising National Security, Privacy Concerns. Should Educators Steer Clear?
The social media video app is raising national security concerns that could ultimately get the platform banned in the U.S.
7 min read
The icon for TikTok pictured in New York on Feb. 25, 2020.
The icon for TikTok pictured in New York on Feb. 25, 2020.
AP